Covington’s Board of Commissioners agreed to move ahead with regulations surrounding short-term rental properties at Tuesday’s caucus meeting.
Commissioners had previously passed an amendment to an ordinance allowing for the number of rental properties in a certain area to be officially established, as well as to make the licensing process easier and faster.
Tuesday’s meeting was one step in the last few needed to put that licensing process into place. Commissioners agreed to put the topic on the agenda for next week’s legislative meeting, where a first reading will be held. It will then go for a second reading in the following legislative meeting two weeks later, where a vote will be taken.
To put it simply, caucus meetings are for discussion, and legislative meetings are for voting.
One of the biggest differences is that during caucus meetings, the public is not allowed to make comments. The meetings are more a time for officials to discuss proposed legislation that is set to be passed during legislative meetings.
“No votes are taken, and that’s where the commission just basically hears presentations from staff, about things we would like to take before them… is just sort of the initial, here’s what’s going on, here’s what’s going to be our priority in the next meeting,” Covington Communications Director Dan Hassert said about caucus meetings.
After viewing these presentations, Hassert said, the commission will then discuss whether to put the issues on the agenda for the legislative meeting.
Various actions happen in a legislative meeting, including the voting on and passing of ordinances and resolutions. There also may be the first reading of an ordinance, which is not a vote, but a public notice of what will be voted on at the next legislative meeting. The public will then have time to give comment on the ordinance before the second reading and subsequent vote.
Having separate caucus and legislative/business meetings is typically reserved for larger municipalities. Places like Florence, Newport, Covington and Fort Wright have these separate meetings, while smaller cities like Alexandria and Bromley do not.
The idea is that these larger cities have more business to handle and it would be too much to discuss in one meeting with voting and public comment.
However, this is not a hard and fast rule; some smaller cities like Ludlow have both caucus and legislative meetings and some larger cities like Fort Thomas only meet once a month.
With all the different processes, it can be hard to know how to get your thoughts to your elected officials.
Your best bet is to check your city’s website. There they will have posted schedules of future meetings with indications of what type of meeting is held and when. Public notices for special meetings and public hearings can be found on LINK nky’s website and will also be physically posted somewhere at the city’s municipal building.
Rules for public comment i.e., how long the comment period is, how long individuals can talk and more, should also be available online.
If you aren’t able to make a meeting or you feel like your issue needs to be addressed individually, commissioners and council members will often have their contact information available online.
“Local government is the most accessible government. It’s where the proverbial rubber meets the road and they’re always happy to talk to residents. They see them at bars, they see them at lunch, coffee shops, events, ribbon cuttings, everywhere and they’re always talking to people,” Hassert said.
What’s the difference between a caucus meeting and a legislative meeting?
Who has caucus meetings?
OK, so how do citizens know when/where to go?
The amendment establishes that each area will have a set number of rental properties allowed within a block face, which helps combat the rise in Airbnb-style rental properties in recent years.
Those looking to turn their property into a rental had been faced with a $600 fee and an examination by the board of adjustment, but this didn’t necessarily mean the license would be granted.
By establishing a certain number of properties allowed within an area, Mayor Joe Meyer said, “the concern of ‘maybe’ goes away, as the zoning people know the number, it’s firm, and they can make a decision.”
Future rental owners will now have to pay a $500 fee, which will almost certainly guarantee them the license in a specific area, according to the increased zoning regulations.
“We wanted to put rules down in place that would enable us to crack down on bad actors and even know who the bad actor is, “ Meyer said. “In return, we are going to make it easier for them to do that.”
The commissioners will continue to discuss and vote on the amendment; the next board meeting will be held on May 28 from 6 to 8 p.m.